… A conflict between religiously orthodox and heterodox Republicans is forcing the Republican Party onto risky terrain. The question is: Can the party sideline one of the most reliable voting blocs, the most religiously observant, on the assumption that it will attract the college-educated, socially liberal and fiscally moderate voters who […] Read more »
The GOP May Regret Its Lasting Battle Against Gay Marriage
Same-sex marriage is supported by most Americans. And after last week’s landmark Supreme Court decision, it’s also the law of the land. But how it will play out in the presidential campaign is far from settled. … Polling generally suggests that same-sex marriage is not a top issue for most […] Read more »
‘Decline in Moral Values’ Likely to be Big Topic in 2016 Debate
Last week’s Supreme Court decision all but ended the debate about the legality of gay marriage in America. Yet there is ample reason to think it has arrived at the beginning of another trend: a rise in the importance some voters attach to cultural issues in the 2016 presidential campaign. […] Read more »
As Left Wins Culture Battles, G.O.P. Gains Opportunity to Pivot for 2016
… Privately, some of the strategists advising Republican hopefuls believe the last week has been nothing short of a gift from above — a great unburdening on issues of race and sexuality, and on health care a disaster averted. Rhetorical opposition to the Affordable Care Act will still be de […] Read more »
In a fast-changing culture, can the GOP get in step with modern America?
… Across the cultural landscape, the national consensus is evolving rapidly, epitomized by this year’s convulsions of celebrity, social issues and politics — from the acceptance of Caitlyn Jenner’s gender identity to Pope Francis’s climate-change decree to the widespread shunning of the Confederate flag. Then came Friday’s landmark Supreme Court […] Read more »
Your Politics Determine Your Anxieties
Add this to the long list of disagreements between Red and Blue America: Republicans and Democrats are worried about completely different things when they look at the state of the U.S. economy, culture and political system, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found. CONT. Janet Hook, Wall Street […] Read more »